Leg lock shackle



Oct. 13, 1964 G. M. FOX ETAL 3,152,360

LEG LOCK SHACKLE Filed Sept. 4, 1962 IWI v 1| I I6 L 32 O I\ 52 4o 38 INVENTORS GASTON MEREDlTH FOX ALLEN L. MASTERS BY m,

ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,152,360 LEG LOCK SHACKLE Gaston Meredith Fox, Albany, Ga, and Ailen L. Masters, Agency, Iowa, assignors to Barker Automation, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,109 8 Claims. (Cl. 1744.1)

This invention relates to shackles or suspension devices for fowls by virtue of which fowls are caused to be supported during the time that certain processing operations are being performed thereon.

In modern poultry processing plants the fowls are suspended by shackles on an overhead conveyor by virtue of which they are mechanically moved through various processing steps, including scalding and picking of the feathers from the fowls. These two important operations are usually performed automatically by the use of suitable apparatus.

Processing poultry has, in recent years, become a relatively large industry and competition has become intense, necessitating the exercise of great care by the processors in the matter of reduction of costs and improved efiiciency with a view to increasing the yield of the finished product. Any small but continuing loss becomes a substantial factor in the economical operation of a processing plant. Many processing plants now completely process fowls at the rate of 4,000 to 6,000 fowls per hour. The continual loss of fowls, even though small in quantity, incident to performance of the processing operations, results in a financial loss of many thousands of dollars per year.

In the use of currently available types of shackles, the legs of the fowls sometimes move out of supporting engagement with the shackles, such as during the scalding or picking operations. Fowls that become free of their shackles while being scalded usually are totally lost, because such fowls usually remain in the scald water for long a period of time and, hence, they become nonusable. Fowls lost in this manner result in substantial financial loss to the processor. For example, if only one fowl in a thousand becomes lost in this manner in the performance of scalding operations in plants wherein fowls are being processed at the rate of 6,000 per hour, the loss to the processor, based on a single eight hour shift of operation, will exceed $7000.00 per year. Sometimes fowls are caused to be disengaged from their shackles incident to the performance of the picking operations on the bodies of the fowls. When this occurs,

the flesh of the fowls usually becomes bruised or torn,

resulting in downgrading of the fowls and attendant financial loss to the processor.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a novel shackle construction which securely locks the legs of the fowl in the shackle and precludes accidental disengagement from the shackle.

Another object is to provide a novel shackle construction having automatic locking means associated with the upwardly open leg receiving recesses formed in the shackle.

A further object is to provide a novel shackle construction wherein the legs of the fowl become automatically locked in a pair of upwardly open leg receiving recesses formed in the shackle incident to the placement of the legs in said recesses.

Still another object is to provide a novel shackle of the character indicated which is durable and efiective in use, and which is capable of being economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the shackle embodying our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view of one lower portion of the shackle showing a leg receiving recess and the associated locking means;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are enlarged, transverse sectional views taken substantially as indicated at lines 3-3 and 44 respectively, on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the novel form of leaf spring constituting a part of the locking means;

FIGURE 6 is a top elevational view of the spring shown in FIGURE 5.

The shackle as represented in the drawing includes a main frame, indicated generally at 10, which is formed from a single piece of round metal stock which, after being properly shaped and formed, has its ends joined together by welding, or by other suitable means of attachment, such as indicated at 12. The rod stock may be either non-corrosive in nature, or metal suitably treated so as to render it corrosion resistant.

The frame includes a pair of substantially parallel side bars or outer legs indicated respectively at 14 and 16, the upper ends of which constitute a continuation of top bars or legs 18 and 20, which merge into and are integrally joined to form a loop 22, which constitutes a suspending member for the shackle by which it may be hung from a conveyor or other support.

At their lower ends, the outer legs 14 and 16 are bent upwardly to form loops, as indicated at 24 and 26, and then extend upwardly to form inner legs 28 and 30, the upper ends of which inner legs merge into an integral, arcuately shaped connecting portion, as indicated at 32. As may be seen in the drawing, the inner legs 28 and 30 are spaced inwardly from corresponding outer legs 14 and 16 to define a pair of upwardly open leg receiving channels or recesses 34 and 36.

The inner legs 23 and 36 of the frame are each formed with an arcuate milled slot 38, and pivotally mounted in each slot by means of a pivot pin 40 is a blocking dog 42 which is formed with a downwardly facing shoulder 44 normally positioned so as to extend across the corresponding upwardly open recess or leg receiving channel. The lower end of the blocking dog is formed at the lower end with an arcuate abutment 46, adapted to engage the lower arcuate surface defining the slot 38 in the inner leg of the shackle for limiting the extent of projection of the shoulder 44 into the leg receiving recess.

Each of the blocking dogs is yieldingly urged and maintained in operative position, as seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, by means of a leaf spring 59, the upper end of which is formed of arcuate contour, as indicated at 52, corresponding generally to the contour of the rod stock, and the springs are each rigidly attached to the inside of the inner legs of the frame by means of rivets 54. By virtue of the contour of the upper portion 52 of the spring, said spring is precluded against rotation about the axis of the rivet 54. As may be seen in the drawing, the leaf spring is positioned so as to abut against the inner upright surface 42a of the blocking dog so as to yieldingly maintain the dog in the position as seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. When a leg of a fowl, as indicated in dot-and-dash ouL ine at A, is moved down through a leg receiving recess, it cams against the inclined surface 421; of the blocking dog, moving said dog inwardly against the reaction of its spring 50, as seen in dot-and-dash outline in FIGURE 1, and as seen in FIGURE 2, to a position which permits the leg to pass below the blocking dog and become firmly seated in the lower end of the leg receiving recess. When the leg of the fowl passes beyond the dog, the spring coacting with the dog resiliently returns the dog to its normal position, as seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, so as to preclude upward movement of the leg out of the leg receiving recess.

By virtue of the construction above described, it will be apparent that when the legs of a fowl are properly supported in the lower ends of the leg receiving recesses of the shackle, they are positively locked in position and preclude accidental disengagement from the shackle, and thus fowls suspended in such shackles cannot become disengaged therefrom incident to the performance of the scalding and picking operations upon the fowls.

It is apparent that, if desired, the blocking dogs may be mountedon either the inner or the outer set of legs of the shackle. We prefer, however, to mount the blocking dogs on the inner legs of the shackle, as shown in the drawings, so as to eliminate possible damage to the dogs and/ or their cooperating springs, which might occur if the dogs and springs were associated with the outer legs of the frame of the shackle, such as is apt to occur incident to one shackle striking another.

Although we have herein shown and described a certain preferred'embodiment of our invention, manifestly it is capable of modification and rearrangement without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. We do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, except as we may be so limited by the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member, a pair of spaced apart outer legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of spaced inner legs connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer legs, defining two spaced apart sets of legs to provide two spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, blocking members pivotally mounted on one leg of each set of legs with a portion of said members extending into the respective recesses for blocking and limiting upward movement of the fowls legs when positioned in said recesses, and means acting on each member for yieldingly maintaining said members in operative blocking position.

2. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member, a pair of spaced apart outer legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of spaced inner legs connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer legs, defining two spaced apart sets of legs to provide two spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, blocking members pivotally mounted on the inner leg of each set of legs with a portion of said members extending into the respective recesses for blocking and limiting upward movement ofthe fowls legs when positioned in said recesses, and means acting on each member for yieldingly maintaining said members in operative blocking position.

3. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member and having a pair of outer side legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of inner legs, said inner legs being connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer side legs to provide a pair of spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, a blocking dog for each recess, said dogs being pivotally connected respectively to a leg forming a part of a corresponding recess and said dogs each having a portion normally extending across the recess for block- 'ing and limiting upward movement of the fowls legs when positioned in the recesses, and spring means acting on said blocking dogs for yieldingly maintaining said dogs in operative blocking position.

4. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member and having a pair of outer side legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of inner legs, said inner legs being connected attheir lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer side legs to provide a pair, of spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, a blocking dog for each recess, said dogs being pivotally connected respectively to a leg forming a part of a corresponding recess and said dogs each having a portion normally extending across the recess'for blocking and limiting upward'movement of the fowls legs when positioned in the recesses, said dogs each having means engageable with a leg of the frame on which the dog is pivotally connected for limiting the extent of movement of said dog into the corresponding recess, and spring means acting on said blocking dogs for yieldingly maintaining said dogs in operative blocking position.

5. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member and having a pair of outer side legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of inner legs, said inner legs being connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer side legs'to provide a pair of spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, one of the legs adjacent each recess being formed with a longitudinally extending slot, blocking dogs mounted for pivotal movement in said slots and each dog being provided with portions adapted to extend across the recess for blocking and limiting upward movement of a fowl leg when positioned in the recess, and spring means acting on each dog for yieldingly urging said dogs open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, one of the legs adjacent each recess being formed with a longitudinally extending slot, blocking dogs mountedfor pivotal movement in said slots and each dog being provided with portions adapted to extend across the recess for blocking and limiting upward movement of a fowl leg when positioned in the recess, said dogs each being formed with a portion adapted to engage a leg of the frame for limiting the extent of movement of the dog into the corresponding recess, and spring means acting on each dog for yieldingly urging said dogs into operative blocking position.

7. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member and having a pair of outerside legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of inner legs, said inner legs being connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer side legs to provide a pair of spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, one of the legs adjacent each recess being formed with a longitudinally extending slot, a blocking dog pivotally mounted adjacent its upper end in each of said slots, said dogs each having a portion adapted to normally extend across a corresponding recess, and a leaf spring for each dog, secured to a corresponding leg and engag ing said dogfor yieldingly urging the dog into operative position extending into said recess.

8. A shackle for suspending fowls for processing comprising, a frame formed of wire stock and comprising a top member and having a pair ofouter side legs connected at their upper ends to said top member and a pair of inner legs, said inner legs being connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of the respective outer 3,152,350 E: Q side legs to provide a pair of spaced apart, upwardly open recesses for the reception of the legs of a fowl therein, one of the legs adjacent each recess being formed with a longitudinally extending slot, a blocking dog pivotally mounted adjacent its upper end in each of said 5 slots, said dogs each having a portion adapted to normally extend across a corresponding recess, each dog having 521,366 a portion engageable with a leg adjacent a correspond- 1,742,569 ing recess for limiting the extent of movement of the 2,819,489

dog into said recess, and a leaf spring for each dog, 10 2,917,335

secured to a corresponding leg and engaging said dog for yieldingly urging the dog into operative position extending into said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis June 12, 1894 Barker et a1 Jan. 7, 1930 Shadley Jan. 14, 1958 Pyka Dec. 15, 1959 

1. A SHACKLE FOR SUSPENDING FOWLS FOR PROCESSING COMPRISING, A FRAME FORMED OF WIRE STOCK AND COMPRISING A TOP MEMBER, A PAIR OF SPACED APART OUTER LEGS CONNECTED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO SAID TOP MEMBER AND A PAIR OF SPACED INNER LEGS CONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO THE LOWER ENDS OF THE RESPECTIVE OUTER LEGS, DEFINING TWO SPACED APART SETS OF LEGS TO PROVIDE TWO SPACED APART, UPWARDLY OPEN RECESSES FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE LEGS OF A FOWL THEREIN, BLOCKING MEMBERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE LEG OF EACH SET OF LEGS WITH A PORTION OF SAID MEMBERS EXTENDING INTO THE RESPECTIVE RECESSES FOR BLOCKING AND LIMITING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE FOWL''S LEGS WHEN POSITIONED IN SAID RECESSES, AND MEANS ACTING ON EACH MEMBER FOR YIELDINGLY MAINTAINING SAID MEMBERS IN OPERATIVE BLOCKING POSITION. 